A fairly ordinary girl with an extraordinary love of life and words. I really can’t shut my brain off to what is wonderful and wonderous all around me. Friendly (most of the time), except at four in the morning when I wake up (and even then I’m generally affable), intensely curious, and trying to find a home for my YA novel. Any questions or just want to say ‘hi’ go ahead and drop me a note at heatherzundel [at] gmail [dot] com. I’d love hearing from you.

Followers

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Remember Me by Josh Groban [Troy soundtrack].

An oldie but goodie, so in other words, somewhere not recent. I'm somewhere huge. I'm sure this place gets overlooked among some of its neighboring sights (trust me, there are a lot of places to see here). If you can name it and tell me why it's significant, you get double super brownie points with fudge and sprinkles on top.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): World at Large by Modest Mouse.

This was originally an idea from Au Courant started in March, an idea she has graciously let me run with.

The idea is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What I do is go to amazon, narrow it down to a YA field and type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of (and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Today's random word:Three.

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth.

In Tolstoy's original story a tsar asks three questions (What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?), and he finds the answers when he unknowingly saves his enemy. Muth's gentler, simpler version is closer to a fable about a boy and his animal friends. Beautiful, playful watercolor paintings show Nikolai with heron Sonya, monkey Gogol, and dog Pushkin on the shore. The animals can't really answer the big questions so Nikolai hikes into the mountains to consult wise old turtle Leo--and while Nikolai is there, he saves a panda and her child in a roaring storm, finding his answers. Muth's large-size pictures are open and beautiful. Some of the soft-toned landscapes are like Japanese paintings, with sharply defined characters against blurry views of water, mountain, and sky. Children will want to talk about the questions and answers, though a version closer to Tolstoy's original would have been more compelling: What if you saved someone who was trying to harm you? --Hazel Rochman, Booklist.

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards.

Historical fiction can be a hard sell, but this gem of a novel-in-verse is indeed worth selling. It is set against the backdrop of a Gilded Age playground for society's upper crust, the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club of Pennsylvania's Lake Conemaugh. The cross-class romance between Celestia, daughter of a wealthy businessman and his obedient society wife, and Peter, summer help and son of a miner from the valley below, is absorbing. It is, however, not the entirety of this rich tale of a real-life natural disaster, the Johnstown Flood of 1889. The flood lies in wait throughout the narrative as allusions are made to the weakness of the dam miles above the working-class shantytowns below. After an unfortunate family situation separates Celestia and Peter the summer of their meeting, she returns to the lake for the summer of 1889 ready to disavow her family and find her beloved. Readers will cheer for this young couple to beat the odds together, and they'll tear through the pages as the tension and drama of the approaching flood rise, oblivious to the exhaustive research and attention to historical detail beneath. This book's ability to wear so many hats—heart-tugging romance, nail-biting suspense novel, and social commentary (it is ripe for discussion about wealth and class in America or society's response to natural disaster) more than earns it a place on the shelves of all libraries serving teens.—Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT

The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma.

Johnny Turnbull has spent all of his 12 years aboard the seed-ship Renaissance en route to the Rings of Orbis. Due to a mechanical problem, the adults on the spaceship perished long before Johnny and the other young passengers were born (they were stored as embryos and raised by the ship's computer). When they arrive on Orbis 1, the orphans quickly learn that they will be forced to work for the Guarantors (alien businessmen) in order to pay off their dead parents' debt for their passage. Johnny is immediately identified as the first human softwire, someone with the ability to enter and manipulate a computer with his mind. Because of his gift, he is a prime suspect when the central computer of Orbis 1 begins to malfunction. He must prove his innocence and solve the mystery of the mechanical failures before time runs out. The author deftly introduces the futuristic setting without getting bogged down in long and detailed descriptive passages, and the brisk plot will keep the interest of reluctant readers. Although a few of the secondary characters are not fully developed, Johnny and his sister are well drawn, and the scenes between the two are skillfully crafted. The first in a planned quartet, this book is a good selection for science-fiction fans.–Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX, School Library Journal.

Triskellion by Will Peterson.

Fourteen-year-old twins Rachel and Adam, fresh from Manhattan, arrive in a sleepy English village to spend the summer with their grandmother, away from their divorcing parents. On the surface, Triskellion seems like a charming place, but that perception quickly changes as they are thrown into the middle of a complicated power struggle involving local folklore and history, recent family scandals, and archaeological fever. The twins, who can communicate telepathically, begin to share dreams of a maiden, who looks like Rachel, and a knight, who looks like Gabriel, a mysteriously attractive boy who keeps leading them into trouble, but saving them as well. Ultimately, everything hinges on the search for the three blades of the Triskellion, an ancient artifact that involves a local beekeeper/amateur archaeologist; the fanatical son of the village leader and his followers; and the cast and crew of Treasure Hunters, a popular reality show. There's a fair amount of violence, but nothing gratuitous. Mysteries abound, and explanations are sometimes a little murky (what exactly is Gabriel?), but these questions may be resolved in the further installments of the planned trilogy. The plot moves along at a brisk pace, and there's plenty of adventure, dark and creepy atmosphere, and a touch of the paranormal. Recommend this to fans of Neil Gaiman and Neal Shusterman.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library, School Library Journal.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Outside the City by Young Galaxy.

Another most excellent book trailer (please excuse the Bill and Ted reference. Any of you who have seen that movie gets extra brownie points). The more I see new marketing campaigns unfold, the more impressed I am at the quality and creativity of these projects. Really, kudos to everyone involved. And the best of luck to Kristina McBride on her debut. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Be Still My Soul (cello) by Steven Sharp Nelson.

Every week I volunteer once at my local library. Excepting sticky children's dvds, I love every minute of it. However when I walked in this week, I discovered this gem on a whiteboard in the back (quoted here verbatim). I do believe each of these is a real title.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Perfect Day by Hoku.

Purple is my favorite color. I just love it. I also love fresh food. So what better way to marry these two loves together than this?

Isn't it just purple adrenaline-junkie made-of-cool awesome? Okay, maybe that's not the right analogy, but still. It's purplecarrots. And purplegreen beans (which seems like a contradiction of terms somehow...). I've just planted them, so I'm not sure if they'll grow to big tall plants before harvest, but I'm gonna try my best. And you will be there along for the ride with me. Hopefully, before winter, we will behold a stew like the world has never seen (and yes, I've already planted the purple potatoes). Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Call by Regina Spektor.

I JUST found this out - the first trailer in the new Chronicles of Narnia has just been released! This is my favorite book in the series. I was so scared when Disney dumped the project that I would never see it come to fruition. But it did get picked up, and it is finally coming. Long live Voyage of the Dawn Treader! So, scrap what I had in mind today, today is a celebration. I want to go back an reread the book. I'm hoping they've kept it the same (that is what killed sales of Prince Caspian, not Indiana Jones and Iron Man you silly silly people at Disney). Have a fantastic weekend, everyone, and Happy Father's Day to every man out there who has ever played the role of guide or protector in someone's life. :)

So, the t-shirt on the left (by Pete Mitchell; buy it at Threadless) tickles me. Poor little pointless circle! But the t-shirt on the right (by Allan Faustino; buy it at Threadless) makes me sad.

Aw, Mr. Rhino! You're breaking my heart! Don't you see how beautiful you are? You're shaped for strength and power and momentum and agility, and if you slim down to the size of that unicorn, you'll be so weak! Health at Every Size! Anyway, unicorns aren't even real! It's all a myth! Haven't you read the Newsweek exposé on airbrushing scandals and unattainable bodies? Don't let the world do this to you, Mr. Rhino! Fight the power!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Cad E' Sin Don Te Sin by Orla Fallon.

This was originally an idea from Au Courant started in March, an idea she has graciously let me run with.

The idea is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What I do is go to amazon, narrow it down to a YA field and type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of (and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Today's random word:New.

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson.

J.J. Liddy, 15, is descended from a proud old family of Irish musicians. In his small village of Kinvara, playing traditional music is a way of life. Lately, though, it seems that the townspeople have less and less time to fulfill daily responsibilities and very few moments left over to make music and enjoy life. In exasperation, J.J.'s mother asks for more time as her birthday gift. Unaware of any magical implications, the teen innocently sets out to find out where the time has gone. This search leads him into the heart of Tír na n'Óg, the land of eternal youth, where he discovers the truth about some family secrets and the identity of the rather hopeless new town policeman, whose mysterious investigation parallels J.J.'s quest. This novel delivers richly tantalizing morsels of Irish mythology as traditional characters dance across the pages. In a story interspersed with snippets of Irish jigs that reflect the progress of the tale, Thompson has masterfully woven together melody and harmony into a tune that will lead readers to a splendid, rollicking crescendo. Some unfamiliar Irish terminology might make comprehension difficult for those who struggle with reading, but the glossary will help mature readers. Those who follow this story through to the end will not be disappointed.—Heather M. Campbell, Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO. School Library Journal.

Snow White in New York by Fiona French.

Astonishing pictures highlight this sophisticated book about a classy New York dame named Snow White. Her troubles come when her father marries the Queen of the Underworld, who resents Snow White's popularity. Snow White is left by one of the Queen's henchmen to die on the streets of New York, but she stumbles into a club where seven jazzmen make her their singer. She's a hit again, so the Queen throws a party for her, doctoring Snow White's drink with a poison cherry. All of New York turns out for the funeral, but when her coffin is jolted, Snow White wakes up; the cherry was merely lodged in her throat. Suave and witty, this story is elevated by its pictures to dizzying, art deco heights. This might be readers' first look at a unique style of art, but they may wish for a change in the endingSnow White's stepmom should have been given a pair of cement shoes! -- Publisher's Weekly.

Begging for Change by Sharon Flake.

"Would you be all right if your mother got hit in the head with a pipe and your father was high as a kite?" In this sequel to Money Hungry (2001) Raspberry Hill's mother is in the hospital after being attacked by a neighborhood teenage girl, and Raspberry's father, homeless and addicted to drugs, resurfaces. Terrified that she and her mother may land back on the streets, Raspberry steals money from a friend. Is she turning into her father? Flake's charged, infectious dialogue will sweep readers through the first-person story as Raspberry describes her fears and moral quandaries; her new romance; her fierce love for her mother; and her powerful, conflicted feelings about her dad. Although vivid images of urban poverty, violence, and drug addiction clearly illustrate why Raspberry is so afraid, Flake never sensationalizes. The identity struggles of some of Raspberry's biracial friends threaten, at times, to distract from the main story, but Flake manages ultimately to balance her many plots and blend them into a hopeful novel that encourages readers to share Raspberry's questions: Can money buy security? How do you forgive those who have hurt you? Does violence ever stop rippling through a community once it begins? Gillian Engberg, Booklist.

New Moon: Book One of the Oran Trilogy by Midori Snyder.

Two hundred years ago, the Fire Queen destroyed her rival queens of Earth, Air, and Water in the fateful Burning and took power over Oran. No child with a trace of the elemental magic was alloved to live. Years later, the country still trembles under her oppression. But now there are rumors of hope. Four young women escaped—four who have the powers of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air—and are even now finding each other. At the same time, a ragtag army of artists and singers, orphans and vagrants, thieves and knifewielders is stealing into the city. Their sign is the bloodred, blade-thin New Moon . . .

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Wasted by Cartel.

The winner to the Linger ARC, according to randomizer.org is...

KM!!!

Big-time congratulations. Please send me an email with your address in the next twenty-four hours so I can get your present to you, or I will need to pick a new winner. Thanks guys, and keep an eye out for more contests! You never know when they'll pop up.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Precious by Depeche Mode.

Storytelling can take many forms and I have just found an absolutely beautiful one, dating back over 2000 years. It's called Chinese Shadow Theater, or pí yĭng xì. A light is set behind a white screen and the figures are pressed to the sheet (moved by sticks), like a very old television set. They have done things you wouldn't think possible for "shadow" puppets. For one thing, these shadows have color. Made from paper-thin animal skin, they are extravagantly cut and painted, turning into works of art. Special attention is given to the eyes and face to make each unique. The first video is wholly Chinese, the second is a more modern interpretation. :) Have a great weekend everyone, and I will see you on Monday!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Voice by Celtic Woman/Lisa Kelly.

I haven't climbed a tree in five years, or more. Loved it as a kid (for some reason, I do not have the "fear of heights" gene in me at all, much to the dismay of parents, college roommates, and anyone who has cared for my welfare at any point). I still love climbing trees. And with my newest project I've been editing/writing, I have a little boy who loves to climb trees. So who am I to deny an authentic experience for better "research purposes" (i.e. having fun). :)

So off to the park I went, gallumphing all the way. I scouted out for the perfect tree. After fifteen minutes, I found it. It was tall, it was beautiful, and had just the right spacing to climb up, in, and around.

What I didn't count on was the little branches.

You know the kind I'm talking about, the little twig-like ones you use for kindling in campfires and poking bugs. Well, they had to grow on a tree at some point. Somehow, in my mind I imagined all my trees without them (hence why doing the fun, nitty-gritty research is so important). Silly, silly me. That plus the fact I tried to move a dead limb and push it out of the tree while I was still in it. I was afraid it would fall on some poor unsuspecting kid. Wrestling a dead tree limb from live tree limbs is like trying to wrestle an alligator one-handed. That was how I got this scratch.

Of course, being fascinated by just about everything, I took notes of the color, texture, and everything about it. I didn't want to wipe it off at all. That and the fact that I hadn't even considered bringing band-aids and I certainly wasn't climbing down thirty feet for such a simple thing as that.

Sadly, no picture from up in the tree. Trust me, there was no way I could have climbed that with a camera. Managing all of my body parts was hard enough. But it was incredibly fun, I got a ton of research in, and I got to feel like a kid again, scratches and all. :)

(me in a different tree. And one of my favorites to climb in the whole wide world).